1. Field
Example embodiments generally relate to a sheet detector, a sheet detector mechanism and an image forming apparatus, for example, to an image forming apparatus including a sheet detector capable of detecting a position of a sheet.
2. Discussion of the Background
In general, a background image forming apparatus, for example, a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a so-called multifunction printer, includes an image forming mechanism for forming an image, e.g., a toner image, and a sheet conveyance unit for conveying a recording sheet, e.g., a paper sheet, to the image forming mechanism.
These machines have recently been provided with a versatility of handling a variety of differently-sized recording sheets in order meet a market demand. For example, background image forming apparatus may be equipped with a plurality of sheet containers for containing various kinds and/or sizes of recording sheets.
Such enhancement of the recording sheet handling, however, may increase a number of sheet conveyance paths provided in the sheet conveyance unit, each to reach a common region in which an image is transferred from the image forming mechanism to the recording sheet. If the sheet conveyance paths have greater tolerances relative to the common region, a position for an image transferred on a recording sheet may inevitably vary depending upon the kinds and/or sizes of the recording sheets.
If an image transfer positioning relative to the recording sheets conveyed by is not accurate, the recording sheets may have uneven margins or a partly-cut-off image. Further, if a stack of recording sheets having such uneven margins is subjected to a book-binding-like process, a part of the images may be cut off.